The Top Ten Manga-ka That Changed Manga History

Oricon is the parent holding company of Oricon Entertainment Inc., which tracks the sales and performance of entertainment products such as music CDs, videogames, DVDs and so on.

Recently, Oricon published a top-ten ranking of the most influencial manga-ka in manga history, based on the results of a survey they carried out. 841 people, ranging from teens to those in their 40s, were interviewed. Here are the results:

Well, learning names is something im bad with, specially with people i dont know, i loved and had brough all the Zelda games, but i still cant remember the name of the creator of zelda, i can recognize his face though

lostinblue

Carve it into your head as the equivalent to walk Disney in Japan. (he hates that comparison though)

goronyan

from these above i just read one-piece, and i still reading

WonderSteve

The first 3 on the list definitely deserves the title without any doubt.I can see the rest of the list changes depending on who you are asking the question.

Ereek

I’m a bit sad at the lack of shoujou artists there. I’d say that they have been just as influential, if not moreso, than (some of) the others on that list.

Joanna

I agree 100%
I hope this is some kind of exclusive look at shounen/seinen manga, because if it is not, I am really disappoint in these people who failed to mention any shoujo/josei what so ever.

Where is Hagio Moto?

Aoshi00

I think they’re basing this list on which are more of a household name, a 5 yr old would know Doraemon and so would an 80 yr old. Slam Dunk and Dragonball (world famous) did make a huge impact in Jpn in a lot of ways. I think Inoue made the list because he’s still drawing Vagabond, everyone knows the historical Musashi. But say Takahashi Youichi, the author of Captain Tsubasa, doesn’t even though he was pretty much the guy responsible for making the sport of soccer popular in Japan in the 80’s because he has kind of faded away as he’s not actively drawing new manga anymore (J-league soccer players actually said they got into soccer because of Captain Tsubasa). Watsuki Nobuhiro might deserve a spot too, I know Jpn girls who weren’t into anime knew about Rurouni Kenshin too. Miyazaki’s up there because he’s also still in the business, so his name has not been forgotten yet.

Busou Renkin was actually one of my fav. after Kenshin. I think for what it was, 10 volumes, it had a good run. Also despite its serialization being drawn to a close, Jump still let him put out two additional chapters to give the story a more proper final conclusion, not many artists are given that privilege (he’s the father of Kenshin after all). Also the fact that CD dramas and an 26 ep anime series were made after the manga ended meant that it definitely had a following. He’s doing Embalming the other Tale of Frankenstein monthly now.. it’s pretty dark, but I’m not sure which direction he’s going.. he seemed to have lost a bit of magic after Oda (One Piece) and Takei (Shaman King) left him as assistants toward the end of Kenshin. Rurouni Kenshin was a classic though.. I just wish they would do a 2D Rurouni Kenshin x Busou Renkin fighting game like BlazBlue, I think it would sell like crazy.

Joanna

I know what you’re trying to say, but like Puchinri said, Sailor Moon is a big household name as well.

I just can’t help but think they asked a specific group (men) and that’s why there is no shoujo in there. I mean, I wouldn’t have any issue with this, but here they are claiming that this is the list of most influential manga, not just shounen manga. So it’s kind of sad that one of the biggest names in shoujo manga hasn’t made it on that list.

They either should have taken this questionnaire to a broader group, or did a historical compilation. As is, this list is sorely misrepresenting one genre/demographically and ignoring another all-together.

sirfratley

Well, there are some good Shoujo Manga out there, but i really can’t call any of those as influential, maybe because are most shonen mangas than shoujo.

puchinri

Off the top of my head, Rose of Versailles and Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, at the least. I don’t think many recent shoujo titles are as influential, because many of the better ones aren’t formulaic, but many older works (premiering from 60s-early 90s) are pretty influential. Many people want Rumiko Takahashi’s work on there and I mostly agree, but I feel there are more influential manga-ka that have worked with shoujo more than her.

Aoshi00

I agree w/ Rose of Versailles (Ikeda Riyoko) and Sailor Moon (which was also part of the golden age in the 90’s, except wasn’t from Jump). One minor thing though, Takahashi has never drawn shoujo, she has always drawn for Shounen Sunday, even the horror mermaid series, I think everyone meant a female artist who drew shounen (Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, and Ranma 1/2), they were mainly geared toward boys, even though anyone could enjoy it regardless of age and gender, just like Sailormoon had become an phenomenon that reached beyond its intended audience domestic and abroad . I remembered I did envy Togashi (Yu Yu Haksuho’s author) for tying the knot w/ the renowned author of Sailormoon (Takeuchi Naoko), he’s such a perv lol..

puchinri

Yeah, that’s true. And I knew her works weren’t actually shoujo, I was going to say ‘dabbled’ in, because they have the feel sometimes, but I ended up putting that anyway. I was going to bring up Togashi and Naoko’s marriage in a comment, especially because she has influence and participates in his works, lol. He really is a perv, but he’s a perv in every sense. I almost feel like HunterxHunter has taken more homosexual turns than BSSM has now. And I can’t even say how much of it is for serious or comedic effect anymore.

Aoshi00

She did some coloring for his manga too, I remember some of the water colored tobira-e looked so nice like Sailormoon (Togashi’s coloring had always been a bit erratic and less refined). I wonder if she still helps him w/ his work (his schedule is so sporadic anyway, it must be nice Jump lets him work that way :), now that they alrdy have two kids, I’m happy for them though. I hope Togashi the perv is treating Naoko-san well, he better lol..

puchinri

I can’t seem to respond to your lower comment, so I’ll just respond here ^u^’. I hadn’t considered the coloring work she did, but I can definitely recognize it (I was thinking linework and certain drawings). I would suspect she does still help, but it’s hard to say. Lol, I’m sure he is treating her well. I think at times, Naoko-sensei has surprised me more than he has, and it makes me feel comfortable that they are a perverted and interesting pair for each other.

Aoshi00

yea, I think the dog is treating the rabbit well, she’s his hime after all :) argh, been trying to find the pic but w/ no success.. I think a particular shot was this one, somebody made a wallpaper w/ this (they blocked Gon!), the lines seem very fine and the water color looks very dreamy and sailormoon-like. I just flipped thru my manga it’s in the back of vol. 6, but i’ts black and white, I actually have this issue of Jump in some black hole.. Talking about Hunter really makes me yearn for a new volume (I don’t read online)… Togashi’s the man.

Oh, I can see what you mean. It is very much like BSSM. I like to collect the volumes and pick them up from the library when I’m there, but I read it online right when it comes out. Sadly, everyone is shorted in this go (no updates again and who knows when a new volume will be out).

Feynman

No Rumiko Takahashi? For shame! Where would we be without Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, or Maison Ikoku?

WonderSteve

I was wondering who else is missing from the list…

Definitely agree with you on Rumiko Takahashi.

I think this list is kind of biased towards Shounen…

Aoshi00

Yea, Takahashi definitely should be on there as well (I mean Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, and Ranma 1/2). Maison Ikkoku is one of my all-time faves. Thing is she does draw Shounen, just for Shogakukan :)I don’t think they’re biased toward Shounen, but rather toward classics/oldies, and by which I mean totally retro that has alrdy established themselves to be timeless classics, that have seen many remakes (Astro Boy, Doraemon, Kitaro, etc). Other than those, it’s Toriyama and Inoue, who represented the “golden age” of Jump, in mid 80’s-mid 90’s, works such as Saint Seiya, Dragonball, Slam Dunk, etc. You would be hard pressed to find a single person in Japan who doesn’t know of such titles. But for many “relatively” recent artists, not everyone (I’m talking about kids to old people) might be familiar w/ them. We’re talking about Dragonball that has average ratings over 20% back in the days.

I suppose even Adachi could be up there, but as time goes on, not many people would still remember Touch, or care about the newer Cross Game. Alas, there are only 10 spots, and I think all of the above rightfully deserve their place. The one I’m actually least familiar w/ is Urasawa Naoki, other than watching the Yawara the Judo Girl based on his earlier manga, I actually have not read Monster, Pluto, and such.

I love Adachi and I think that he deserves a spot somewhere. Finished Touch and H2 already and was thinking of reading cross game.

Also, you should read some of Naoki Urasawa’s stuff. I’d recommend the ones that you mentioned (also 20th Century Boys).

Aoshi00

I think the list is considering those who are iconic/relevant/famous/made an impact “then and now”. If you ask someone who’s in the 30’s-40’s, Adachi is definitely their favorite author because they grew up w/ Touch, but if you ask a teenager or younger kid today, they might not know about Cross game because it’s not a national phenomenon anymore (though H2 did get made into a drama some years ago). Or if you ask the ladies who are in their 30s to 40s, they would tell you their favorite manga was Saint Seiya because that was what swept Japan in the 80’s (it played a huge part in yaoi manga too, thos AxB stuff). Saint Seiya was popular worldwide in South America, Asia, and even Europe, other than America.. but Kurumada might not be relevant “these days”, because younger kids might not know what Saint Seiya is. Also for his decision screwing all the fans by replacing the original seiyuu in the new OVAs, he deserves the hate (and now Shiryuu’s seiyuu is dead..).I’m not sure if Urusawa’s manga is my taste. Truth is I have given up watching anime for a few years now, and manga seems like the next thing to go. Other than a few titles that I read in leisure, I pretty much don’t read manga anymore.. for now movies and video games take up most of my time. I did buy all the Cross Game manga though, read 11 of them and have 5 more to go.. I have a huge manga backlog :(…

I agree with all the choices (except I’m not familiar with #7). I also agree that Takahashi and Adachi also deserve to be up there, but alas, it’s a list of 10, not 12.

I love Urasawa, but I could understand why people wouldn’t like his stuff. However, he’s undoubtly influential. His distinct style is more “realistic” and “cinematic” then most of his contemporaries. His series can get quite long, but he’s great at making things suspenseful…making it difficult to stop. I mean I read Monster and 20th Century Boys almost nonstop (I even got weird dreams about them). Maybe if you just want to get a taste of his work, maybe read Pluto since it’s quite short, even if it’s not his best work.

Joanna

Yeah, I think her best effort was Maison. I love it~
Sad to see no women on that list as well. :(

Aoshi00

I really regret throwing alway all my Maison fansub tapes before buying the Viz DVDs, now they’re extinct :(.. I swear I could watch the series once a year, it was so funny and heartwarming.. did you watch the live action two-parter series they did w/ Itou Misaki as Kyoko a few years back? I thought the cast really captured the spirit of the anime. Kyoko was so pretty and Godai was so geeky (yet cool at the same time, his drunk “Kyoko-san, suki-jaaaa” lol), Yotsuya, Ichinose-san, and Akemi were all very eccentric and funny, so perfectly cast :)

Joanna

No, but now you’ve got me interested! I’ve only read part of the manga (still collecting the rest) and the whole anime. I don’t think any manga made me laugh out loud as much as Maison. Wish Takahashi would do another slice of life comedy. Actually, what is she doing now that she has finished InuYasha?

Aoshi00

She’s drawing Kyoukai no Rinne now, the setting is a little similar to Inuyasha w/ a school girl and this guy who’s kind of like a shinigami, but it’s a comedy mixed w/ spiritual stuffs. I bought 3 vol and read 2 so far, I think vol. 4 just came out recently. I’m not sure if Viz has alrdy picked it up, it’s very charming and fun to read, as w/ all Takahashi works :) I also love it when she does slice of life, like Maison or the Rumic Theater short stories. I actually have not read much of InuYasha, maybe 10 vol. out of 56, I thought it was a little too long I lost track a long time ago..

Joanna

Now that you mention it, I do recall hearing something like that about her new manga.

And that’s better than me. I only have the first 5 volumes of InuYasha. I also gave up on it because it’s so long. I’m sort of contemplating whether I should continue with it….but I think I would much rather collect Claymore (my new obsession :D) and the rest of my unfinished manga which isn’t so long.

WonderSteve

It would be nice to see Adachi on the list. His work is definitely unique.

lostinblue

Nice shout for Maison Ikkoku, and how awesome story/manga that is.

As for Naoki, he’s a simply put, a genious. I wouldn’t say he’s that influential, but he deserves the place, if that’s for monster and 20th century boys)

asgeras

Amen on the Rumiko Takahashi. Then again, I’m slightly biased, since Ranma was my first manga.

kylehyde

Rumiko takahashi deserved to be on that list. I love the way that she combines classic folklore with moder stories, if there is a manga-ka who can combine really well the manga with ancient japan stories, and ancient drawing style, thats rumiko takahashi.

I’ve heard of 1-5, 9, and 10-2. I agree with all of those ones except Akira Toriyama. Though I do like Dr. Slump…

Aoshi00

W/ Dragon Quest being the best selling RPG in Jpn all these years (even if you don’t count the internationally known Dragonball), I think Toriyama is pretty influential being one of the people who played a part in spreading anime worldwide, whether you like his art style/work or not. I agree w/ the list, I can’t think of anyone more well known than him other than Tezuka.

MrBushido

What in the world does Dragon Quest have to do with manga? In terms of how manga itself has evolved throughout the years (influence is not about something as inane as a popularity contest but a degree of how a certain work or creator has created innovations in a certain platform and enabled an entire format to be created thanks to it) no one even comes close to Osamu Tezuka. Manga is also inherently Japanese, so whether or not it has gained some sort of niche popularity among children in some foreign country is absolutely meaningless (not least on its authors and intended audience) and nothing to do with manga’s structure and history itself, with it being accepted by all ages in Japan. This is not about video games or comic books after all but manga as a medium, and that can only be judged by its history in Japan, its true and only home.

Aoshi00

Yes, Dragon Quest, a national/Japanese RPG is a video game franchise not a manga, if Toriyama was not brought in to do the distinctive designs from the beginning over 20 yrs ago, who knows if such a game would have swept or continue to enamor the nation of Japan even till today, yes, not that influential. You have to realize, they’re asking regular Japanese people who have read manga, not manga critics who dissect each manga title for the artistic or contextual merit, which varies from person to person. They could be asking people questions like “What was the first manga you read? Which manga-ka made you read manga? Which manga did you read when you were growing up? Which manga title/artist made an impact or left an impression on you?” And I’m sure a whole generation of people would say Toriyama has impacted their manga reading habits some point in their life, yes, not that influential. It’s not a popularity contest. Akira was influential because it was the first anime many Western fans were exposed to, and was one of the titles that started the anime boom outside Japan. Just has Toriyama’s manga has sparked the readers’ interest in manga all over the world. yes, not that influential. And don’t forget Japan is proud of their manga, a cultural staple, being known and loved by the world, also thanks to Toriyama.As for Osamu Tezuka, of course he was influential. But so is Toriyama in more ways than one.

puchinri

It’s good you’re creditting Toriyama so much, but I think in this, you’re probably giving him more credit and failing to realize the influence of maybe Tezuka and others.

Asking regular Japanese people and still having Tezuka on top of the list says something. He still has movies made of his work in foreign countries and Japan. He’s still widely loved and celebrated. Younger and older crowds know and enjoy his work, and he has many light and dark works, and ones that intersect. He has influenced Japanese and foreign crowds. Yes, Toriyama has made an impact and Japan and introduced many people in America to anime, but Tezuka and Monkey Punch introduced manga to foreign crowds even before Dragon Ball Z. DBZ probably had the window it did because Tezuka lingered and held influence. Tezuka just can’t continue to be influential now in those same ways because he has passed away, where Toriyama is able to continue to influence. For someoneone who’s unable to make works anymore but is still so influential, I believe that’s amazing. And Toriyama will no doubt be up there with Tezuka when he passes, but I don’t think it’s best to compare them.

Aoshi00

I don’t think I’m giving Toriyama more credit than he deserves, and I’m not trying to compare him to legendary Tezuka either (though no doubt Toriyama will be legendary or has alrdy achieved that), they are influential in different ways. To me, on a personal level, Toriyama is more relevant, because Tezuka was beyond my time, but I was introduced to his past work via either anime adaptation of his works or the reprints of his manga, just like a new generation of kids are being introduced to Dragonball via the re-edited show or video games, after the series has ended almost 15 years ago. But frankly, I do not like Tezuka’s drawing, the retro cartoony style felt jarring to me compared to the anime, Leiji Matsumoto’s (Galaxy Express 999) drawing was also extremely weird to me and not for my taste.You seem to praise Oda highly and Oda was one of Toriyama’s biggest fans, even his drawing style somewhat resembles Toriyama’s (while Kishimoto’s drawing was more influenced more by Otomo’s “Akira”). If anything, Toriyama has invented a unique drawing style that is unlike anything that came before or after him, you have to give him that. Even my parents know about Dragon Ball and Toriyama Akira. While all the other anime/manga probably look the same to the untrained eye. If not for Toriyama’s iconic drawing to Dragon Quest (simple yet effective from the Famicom days to even now), I’m sure they would pick a different artist, but Toriyama and Dragon Quest are alrdy synonymous, it’s not like same American comic icons being drawing by dozens of artists over the years.

puchinri

I can definitely understand your point. And I’m a relatively rabid Toriyama fangirl myself and have been since childhood. But I remember my freshman year of HS, I tried to read Astro Boy and hated it, a couple of years later I tried it again and to this point, it is one of my most favorite manga alongside One Piece and Lovely Complex. I think Tezuka is past many people’s time, but that’s the beauty of his work. It’s past the time, but it remains timeless. I personally love the retro look, and there are many that do. But sometimes I feel Toriyama’s look is too simple. I have my complaints for both, but I also love how distinct both are (it helps that many current works of Tezuka’s in different media and uses have different styles, like Black Jack’s many animated looks and the many cute pop looks Atom takes on).

Indeed I do, and the connection between Oda and Toriyama makes me love and appreciate them even more. But you can also say that tezuka’s style is very unique and often emulated. And his characters are often referrenced. As a matter of fact, it’s interesting the way Toriyama is referrenced compared to Tezuka. (I can’t say what my grandma is familiar with in anime, because I show her too much, but she would most likely skip Tezuka and Toriyama and ask why Miyazaki isn’t higher on the list, lol). But even my sister, who is five years younger than me, has an eye for Tezuka works more than Toriyama work, and she grew up with Dragon Ball Z and has only been introduced to Tezuka works recently. I think they certainly influence different crowds, and they’re both increasingly and highly influential, but I can see how Tezuka is just more so influential. But there is no doubting Toriyama’s influence, I agree. (I think people on here only doubt it when people say he should be above Tezuka, and the fact that Toriyama’s works don’t hold the same psychologyical or emotional presence in content that one’s like Urasawa’s or even One Piece might hold.)

holyPaladin

Akira Toriyama should be no.1 IMO…

MrBushido

Toriyama supposedly more influential than Osamu Tezuka, or even Naoki Urasawa? That just proves you don’t know anything about true manga and how it has developed. Manga would have been nothing if it weren’t for Osamu Tezuka. If you’re talking about Dragon Quest, then let’s talk about the Lion King – do you know where Disney got its inspiration? From Osamu Tezuka himself.

holyPaladin

Maybe Toriyawa will lose to Osamu TezukaBut Naoki Urasawa? I don’t think soI think I know manga since I read them since child, start from Doraemon and Dragon Ball.Influential is like he is the person who change the world of manga.Look at Dragon Ball sales, which is no.2 now since One Piece taking no.1 spot now.Based on sales you can see which is the most influential.But yeah Ozaku Tezuka can have no.1 spot since he’s got amazing manga lineup and he’s called father of manga or maybe god of manga (and Toriyama only got DB and DS which are the most influential)But Naoki Urasawa? Sure he got nice stories on his manga (Monster, 20th Century Boys) but I don’t think he’s supposed to be on listAnd sorry if I offended you

kylehyde

Sorry good sir, but you are totally wrong, Urasawa deserved to be on that list and maybe in a lot higher than his position in that list.

holyPaladin

It depends on personal taste on Urasawa though…
since I don’t like him too much (his stories rocks though, I just don’t like his style of drawing)

Aoshi00

I have always admired Toriyama’s simple yet effective drawing style that is easy on the eyes and could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Also I like the dynamics in the way he conveys action (since he liked going to movies as a kid). I think Urusawa’s more adult-oriented manga is liked by a segment of people, while Toriyama’s work could be enjoyed by people of all ages, hence garnering many manga readers over the years. They are good and influential in different ways. As for how they’re ordered, it varies depending on personal taste. However, I would say Toriyama has made a bigger impact on the manga industry in Jpn and overseas, while Urusawa’s is more niche.

Kris

I totally agree. Urasawa is a master storyteller as well as an excellent artist.

kylehyde

Wow hold in a moment Aoshi00, you can say that Urasawa work are not popular, is ok, you can say that you didn’t like something about his style and is ok too, but say that he is niche, is not ok, because Urasaw is a master. You have one warning before knowng my bad side

Aoshi00

lol.. I guess niche wasn’t really the right word, as he did receive many awards in Jpn just like Inoue and such.. I meant his story is more realistic and geared toward a different segment and the more mature audience. I don’t dislike his drawing style per se, I just need to be in a certain mood to read that kind of stuff. Didn’t mean to put down your favorite author or anything. I think all of these authors rightfully earn their spots. There are other contenders too, but this is the top 10 list for the “classics” so to speak, I mean Doraemon, Kitaro, Sazae-san, Bakabon, Tezuka manga, these stuffs are old, vintage even (but they’re still in the minds of everyone due to the constant remakes), compared to Dragonball, Slam Dunk, One Piece, and Monster which are relatively recent.

Aoshi00

I suppose the Jpn readers really didn’t appreciate or understand their manga then :) Tezuka was the one that started it all, no doubt. As for Urusawa or Toriyama, that’s just a matter of whose work you like more, they are different kinds of artists, Toriyama drew the more light-hearted and imaginative manga that captured the younger audience (manga that a whole generation grew up with), while Urusawa draws more realistic stories for a more mature audience. It could be like directors Spielberg or Lucas, they are influential and revolutionized movies in different ways, whether you like their work or not, they are definitely up there, you could argue some might not care for Star Wars, but they were influential.

kupomogli

I’m not a huge anime fan. I only know the obvious author.

MrBushido

No one’s talking about anime here. This is manga.

Aoshi00

In case you didn’t notice, manga and anime are rather interconnected, many anime were adapted from manga. Many people would not know Tezuka if not for the Astro Boy anime. There are many reasons why Tezuka manga are being continually updated for modern readers and anime audience, one is to let those appreciate his work even in modern times.

kylehyde

Sorry but for many people (including me) is not the same feeling to watch an anime and read the manga. Yeah maybe many people liked to see on action their favorite stories, but in genres like seinen read the manga is a lot better than watching the anime, you really can feel it a more personal level than watching a doodle. I love anime, but in the manga you can experemint the sensation that the author is trying to transmite.

Aoshi00

I’m not saying manga and anime are the same thing, I meant the two media are so interrelated it’s not practical to completely separate them, as if one has nothing to do w/ the other. For a manga to be adapted into long running animated series (Dragonball) or movies (Akira), they have to be pretty good (of courses popular too) in the first place. Just like many good novels have been adapted into movies. Whether you like the original books or movie adaptation is a different matter, of course the experience of reading a novel at your own pace and watching a condensed version in 2 hrs is different. They both have their merits, pros and cons. At one time I preferred anime when i was younger, later I prefer manga because they don’t take as much time to read. Now I’ve pretty much no time for either (video games might need to go later). But for a big chunk of my childhood and young adult life, Toriyama was very influential to me as I grew up watching Dragonball, I’m sure it’s the same for many Jpn. While I have not read much of Urusawa other than his earlier work (Yawara) in the 90’s, which I have watched the anime. I’m sure I would like it if I pick up his books and would like the more realistic, meaningful, and intricate story as an adult now. It depends on my mood, sometimes I like to read light stuff to relax, they don’t always need to be philosophical. Or many novels that are out there, I’m sure many of them are deep and meaningful, unfortunately I just don’t have the time to read them at this point in life.

fuzzy_hobo

I’m surprised to see Naoki Urasawa on the list, but I’m not complaining–his stories rock.

Aoshi00

W/o a doubt absolutely correct, all of these manga authors/artist are household names in Jpn (like Walt Disney to Americans) known by everyone even not into anime. Bakabon and Sazae-san might be a little too old for the kids, but many of these famous titles continue to have new reincarnation in one form or another, such as the recent re-edited DB Kai (more closely resembling Toriyama’s original work) now being shown to a whole new generation of youngsters. Personally Toriyama and Inoue were the ones I admired the most since I grew up w/ their work (a lot of people got into basketball because of Slam Dunk believe it or not), I’m like in the middle being 30.. GeGeGe no Kitaro I watched when I was little, but the Tezuka drawing style is too old for me (I like Doraemon though), and I’m not too familiar w/ the newer stuff like One Piece, I’m not a big fan of Oda’s drawing style either.

I know everyone except for 7 and 8. I totally agree with that list, nobody’s missing, i would have added perhaps Kentaro Miura [Berserk]. One thing I disagree, Naoki Urasawa should be higher, around 5 or 6.

kylehyde

Amen for that.

I was going to write the same. Monster really changed my mind and life, after readed the whole manga most of the anime and manga that I previously readed and watched (80% aprox.) were trash to me compared to this great work.

I really think that Toriyama must be the number one, because most of the actual mangakas are influenced by his work, and Dragon Ball was the anime and manga that start the genre boom! out of Japan. al that and the cause that product touched by Toriyama is Gold, Look at Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest Series.

MrBushido

Toriyama more influential than OSAMU TEZUKA? The father of manga? Are you kidding me? Dragon Ball did not make a genre “boom” of any sort in Japan; yes, it was very popular, but influential? No way. It might have created a boom in foreign countries like the US but not in Japan, definitely not. Manga is inherently Japanese, so whether it’s popular elsewhere has no significance – we’re not talking about comic books here, but manga, the Japanese format. No one trumps Osamu Tezuka in terms of manga and the unparalleled influence he has had on its format and structure, not to mention subsequently anime and everything else as well. If we were to talk about other authors, in terms of shoujo manga, I would also note the great influence Keiko Takemiya, Riyoko Ikeda and Yumiko Igarashi has had, and among drama authors, Naoki Urasawa. Rumiko Takahashi is a pioneer of comedy and gag manga as well whose influence on it cannot be underestimated.

sirfratley

Maybe in Japan not, but if you see out of Japan Toriyama was the man. And relax is only my point of view xD, and maybe that is because i dont like the Tezuka’s work.

Aoshi00

Hm… over 1/5 of the Jpn population watched the Dragon Ball anime during its original run at its peak, so yea, I would say it was pretty influential in a Doraemon sort of way since it’s a household name. Also Dragon Ball, Slam Dunk and such were pretty universally considered as the “Golden Age” of shounen jump during their serialization in Jpn. Sales of the magazine actually never got as good after those series ended.

puchinri

There’s no doubt that Toriyama is influential, but that’s doubting the influence and popularity of Tezuka’s influence in Japan. People are still loving his works and appreciating them in many ways. People have Tetsuwan Atom cell phone jewels/decorations on their phone, as compared to those of Toriyama works. But I’d say the difference is time. Toriyama still works and gives something to audiences. I think many of Tezuka’s works are timeless, but he himself can’t give anything to us anymore (but when Dezuka does make movies for him and what not, they do well).

Aoshi00

I don’t disagree w/ Tezuka being the granddaddy of this all, his works and Toriyama’s are influential in different ways, because the two exist in different times. It’s just strange some can’t see or deny Toriyama being influential despite his achievement to manga and beyond in the last 30yrs. I think Tezuka’s classics might be considered more along the league of literary works, like Natsume Souseki’s Kokoro, or Akutagawa’s, they will be taught and read in Japan now and in the future. Tezuka’s works continue to spawn remakes and new anime, just as Toriyama’s manga or things that he did designs for.

Many older artists would point to Tezuka’s works influencing them one way or another, and many modern artists have also been influenced by Toriyama in the same way, some artists today were kids back then growing up reading Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball.

puchinri

I don’t think people are denying Toriyama’s works are influential, and I think they see it is in different ways, but I can see some of the points and I do agree he’s more influential with this current crowd, as compared to Tezuka who’s influential with the older and younger crowd. I think that may and may not be true. Some of them hold a great deal of psychological presence and such, but many are still held as spectacular and classic manga. I actually think comparing them to Kokoro throws it off a bit.

But I think that’s the point. Tezuka may have passed away, but his works are still spawning new projects influencing younger and older crowds.

And just as many if not more older and younger artists would also say Tezuka’s works influence them. I don’t think any are doubting that Toriyama is highly influential, but saying he’s as influential as Tezuka is kind of silly. With the time and generations between them, that Tezuka is still so highly regarded and influential is amazing. Can you imagine how it would be if he were alive? And since his manga are bein reprinted (they are in NA at least), he’ll just become even more renowned and influential. Just as Toriyama is continuing to be influential by working with games. (But this certainly plays into it too, since he’s no longer directly influencing manga as much.)

Aoshi00

I agree w/ you, I don’t think Toriyama is more influential than Tezuka either,they are very different, he was my personal hero though and I really love his drawings. It’s too bad while Astro Boy got a pretty good CG film adaptation by Imagi, Dragonball had Evolution :(…

puchinri

I hate both actually. I feel DB:E had racial implications that ruined it, as well as just being a horrible adaption. However, the Astro Boy film was loved, but I feel it’s a huge disservice to Tetsuwan Atom. It looked good, but I feel held none of the deeper point, meaning or presence that the manga and even the animes had. Which is a shame. I wish both movies didn’t exist. ^u^’

Aoshi00

yea, it was really weird w/ Justin Chatwin being Goku and Chichi, Yamcha, Roshi, Gohan, Piccolo’s sidekick all played by Asians.. Bulma was hot though :) I know the film less than 2 hrs long would not represent Atom fully, but I’m a big fan of CG movies like Pixar and Dreamwork stuffs, so I’m a sucker for these type of light hearted family films. I actually bought the Jpn Blu-ray (Atom) instead of Astro Boy so I could have dual track :) I know it wasn’t perfect, but imagine if DB was done in CG like TNMT or Astro Boy, it would be so much nicer..

puchinri

It was definitely a case of racebending (poor AtLA too, though it isn’t anime technically). Oh of course, I know it couldn’t fit everything that happened, especially since so many Atom stories are stand alone, just like DB:E can’t be expected to catch every moment of the show. But I think when you take away the feel, mechanics and atmosphere of the world and characters, you’ve already lost the purpose of what you’re doing. Duel track would be nice to have too, though I don’t think the voices would make any difference for me. (I was actually frustrated with their TMNT too.)

But I agree. DB(Z) should have been something CG or the like. Maybe we’ll get another movie or something. Especially since we had that short feature with Turble/Table. I expect something more for DBZ~.

Aoshi00

On a personal level, I would totally agree w/ you, Toriyama has been my no. 1 for years, just as Sakaguchi to me for games. However, since Osamu Tezuka is considered the father of manga that started it all, you just can’t put him in any place other than 1, so (but Tezuka was before my time, and I’m only familiar w/ the anime based on his manga, I don’t like the retro drawing)… For myself, Toriyama was and always will be no. 1 because I grew up w/ his work and totally admired his creativity.

sirfratley

I really enjoy all the Toriyama’s work, and i like the Dragon Quest series because of his art, and i really think that part of the greatness of the series are because of that. And by the way, i totally agree with you in the Sakaguchi’s games.

lostinblue

if we’re going by that, we should mention Evangelion as well in that list (Hideki Anno or Yoshiyuki Sadamoto?), it didn’t start as a manga, but the anime certainly influenced everything; it’s where the 90’s anime new wave (and manga) really started, and the phase we’re up to this day; the way to mix things, the fact it’s a mindfuck, the character design and art direction (sadamoto I guess) are really up there.

Toryama was influential, of course, and his draw style sells (taking blue dragon aside) but he’s not influential in a meant to be way, nor does he know how to top it or use it in anyway; hence why he only draws characters for Dragon Quest these days.

Rumiko Takahashi and Masashi Kishimoto deserve to be on that list. They have both revolutionized manga not only in Japan, but around the world as well.

kylehyde

I only heard 6 persons, and even that I think that is a nice list, I think that names like Rumiko Takahashi deserved to be on there.I’m glad that Naoki Urasawa made it, he is not only an excellent writter (and for God’s sake he is really brilliant) he is drawing style is really impressing. I know that many will say that his character drawings are not very stylized, but for that reason is great, I mean he really draws the humans as we are, not attractive, seriously, many manga artist draw their characters to look cool, he however took a more realistic aprouch, like big noses, wrinkles, moles and many more facial defects, because after all the humans are not perfect, and all that imperfections is what make us humans.Actually was very interesting why johann liebert was so handsome (monster), in certain way that reflected his lack of humanity.For that reason is a little sad that he is not higher, unfortunately his work is not commercial (wich is more than okey to me) and for that reason many people doesn’t know his works very well. But I’m happy that he made it.

What, no Go Nagai (mazinger z, devilman, cutie honey)? did he not do manga? Anyways, even if is more of an anime guy, I think he influenced manga too. I think he helped popularize (even started?) a lot of widely used ideas in anime and manga today. Maybe I’m not too surprised that his names not here, but if this list was about anime..ka, then I’d say his name should be there.

Maybe I’m just not very knowledgable in manga (i’m more into anime anyways) but did Eiichiro Oda (One Piece) really have more influence than Go Nagai and other mangaka bellow him on the list? I’m not hating One Piece, but I haven’t seen any other manga/anime being influenced by it in any way. Maybe in a few years?

puchinri

I do agree that Go Nagai should have made that list, but One Piece does seem to be influencing manga slowly and certainly influences those who read it. I know Mishima-sensei is a big fan of One Piece and it’s influence Fairy Tail quite a lot, and there are other manga who have reported to enjoying it and some being influenced, but I can’t remember off the top of my head.

kylehyde

Even that I’m not a big fan of Go Nagai, i’m agree with you, when I heard about manga his name is one of first that is mentionated. Also he was a very versatile manga-ka (I don’t if he still live), he has maked shonen, etchi, hentai, mechas, gore and some other genres, he breaked with many standars and explored many fields that others mangakas didn’t dare to try.

this list is about influences that changed the manga and anime industry all naruto was is a bunch of shounen manga Clichés
-boy has some sort past that makes him well known
-grows stronger all the time, a friend as a rival and enemy,
-son of a famous hero,
-has a power which only few chosen ones have,
-a world that has rankings,
-a team of 3 or more,
-a badguy turn ally
and so much more

joesz

actually you are right.Naruto is wildy known and famous rather then being the infulencee.My bad,I didn’t make any sense in the previous post.Well,I Guess the influences are these people1. Osamu Tezuka:aside from beng the god of manga,I think some of our current technology came from his mangas.2. Akira Toriyama :He influenced many people that some of them are now famous mangakas.

gatotsu911

Which makes it totally different from the astonishingly original artistic masterwork that is One Piece.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is beautiful :D I’ve still got to read One Peice I started to but didn’t have the time :(

SeventhEvening

That’s not a bad list. I’m really glad Naoki Urasawa was on there. Many of those other Manga-ka are more established and classic, but Naoki Urasawa’s writing is unbelievable.

Personally, I believe Leiji Matsumoto should have been on there, as I can’t think of anyone more iconic or who has influenced sci-fi/space opera manga/anime more than him.

GVmanX

Where’s Go Nagai?

gatotsu911

Eiichiro Oda?? SERIOUSLY???

Hraesvelgr

Yeah, I thought the same thing. Not just the fact that Oda is on there, but number four on the list, as well. I mean, One Piece is practically the most popular thing in Japan right now, but I would hardly call it influential.

Still, a pretty unsurprising list… But then again, it says only 841 people were surveyed, so I don’t think anyone should pay much attention to it.

puchinri

I’m not surprised. Because One Piece appeals to many ages, genders and crowds. It holds a large, imaginative and detailed world with compelling characters and moving stories. It’s a lot of action and adventure first, but humor nor emotion is ever second or lacking. And the fact that Oda has even started to influence other relatively known manga-ka does seem pretty influential considering he’s more new to the crowd than many of those names.

But I agree, the number is small. I think it’s interesting and fun to look at it, but that’s about all. I’m just glad Oda made it and placed fourth.

gatotsu911

Yeah, but putting him in the top ten mangaka of ALL TIME?? On a list that doesn’t even include Rumiko Takahashi???

puchinri

I’d say it’s the equivalent of having Takehiko Inoue on there. The only difference is Oda only has one real work under his belt and it’s a few years behind Slam Dunk. But he’s still managed to capture audiences and influence other mangaka. And his writing is damn good.

I think considering the generation gap he has to the other, it feels shocking. But just considering his writing and creativity, I think he deserves to be up there. I agree Rumiko Takahashi has been around way longer and done way more, but it’s not like his worlds lack the imagination and development that her’s had. But since everyone is saying it, I feel like we need a list specifically for female mangaka now (and I am curious who would make it on there). I’m less shocked about Rumiko Takahashi and more surprised Takeuchi Naoko and Ikeda Riyoko didn’t make it on there.

Catloaf

This seems more like a popularity contest.
Because I don’t see how Akira Toriyama changed anything. People liked his work, but it didn’t really influence anyone after them. The same with Eiichiro Oda, yes, he’s good, but not revolutionary in any way.

The lack of Go Nagai is really the biggest pointer to the fact that this was just a popularity contest. How does the creator of the entire genre of ‘Magical Girl’ and the first successful super Robot series not get on this list. Yes, Tezuka did something that could now be categorized a ‘magical girl’ first, but it wasn’t something that dozens of other authors rewrote over and over according to the formula he designed.
On that note, where is Buronson (Fist of the north star)?! Every goddamn Shounen battle manga follows his formula precisely!

This should be a list of people who either invented, perfected, or popularized the genres and conventions of anime/manga. Not the most popular or even the ‘best’ authors!

Aoshi00

I think what’s revolutionary is up for debate, but commercial success (rather than popularity contest) certainly cannot be ignored, in addition to artistic merits. Even though it is an art form, it is also a business, just like video games, they mean nothing if they don’t sell (and would not have made any subsequent impact). If Miyamoto’s Mario or Sakaguchi’s FF didn’t sell in the first place, they wouldn’t have made such a big impact on today’s game industry. The similarity I see btwn those authors is their creation got a lot of people in Japan to read manga, young and old and anyone in between. Not many authors can claim such a feat.One could argue Go Nagai or Matsumoto Leiji have done more than Fujiko Fujio (I would say Takahashi Rumiko or Adachi were very important as well), but Doramon is a cultural icon in terms of manga and anime that no one in Japan would not know about, the mechanical cat from the future who helps the poor boy w/ his gadgets (like Batman, Superman, or Spiderman that have existed for decades and represent America), so has Son Goku who has been around and well known to the whole world for a quarter of a century now. As for Toriyama’s influence on other authors, Oda Eiichirou, Kishimoto Masashi (Naruto’s author was a fan of Toriyama and Otomo “Akira” Katsuhiro), Katura Masakazu (DNA2, Zetman) were all strongly influenced by him, many authors also have admitted they would not have become manga artists if not for reading Dragon Ball or Dr. Slump growing up.

puchinri

While I agree Toriyama and Oda aren’t as influential on other manga-ka as Tezuka is, nor as generally influential in a wider mindset than Miyazaki is, I do believe they’re highly influential. I think as a matter-of-fact, Oda tells more compelling and emotional stories than Toriyama, so he’s more influential that way and the way his worlds are detailed and imaginative reminds me of Miyazaki. But Toriyama stills remains in the memories of many Japanese and foreign audiences. My cousins who don’t even know many anime or enjoy most can recall DBZ and enjoy it in some way. I would the thing is, Toriyama is mainly influencing newer works, like Oda is. And I say for Oda even to be influencing people already, while One Piece is considerably newer than Toriyama’s works is an accomplishment.

But it is odd that Go Nagai didn’t make the list, someone below (or above?) mentioned that too. Thinking about it, maybe it’s because of how controversial some of his works were? But it’s still a shame, and I agree. And certainly North Star probably could have made that list, but that is narrowing it down to shounen and not wider audiences (as compared to Tezuka’s works being able to influence shoujo, shounen, seinen and maybe even jousei crowds).

puchinri

I do mostly agree with the list. Some of those genres are more seinen/shounen geared, but I think some of them are works that widely appeal to everyone, and that’s very nice.

It’s nice to see Tezuka still takes top spot, and I’m glad Oda-sensei not only made it on the list, but made it to fourth. Considering what’s going on in One Piece lately though (especially), I’m not surprised. Though I am a bit disappointed that Inoue-sensei and Miyazaki didn’t make it a little higher.

There are other manga-ka I would have liked to see on there, and like someone else mentioned, I think Miura-sensei could have made it, but I agree with the works listed.

Anyone trying to argue that Toriyama doesn’t belong on the list is crazy. Even if he’s not top 5, he’s top 10.

Remember “influential” isn’t about being the best but about making the biggest impact.

TSB_VoidMare

Someone that nobody has mentioned yet is Kazuo Umezu. He unquestionably created the romantic comedy and horror genres, was a huge driving force in gag comics, and was the first (and arguably only) mangaka to achieve rockstar status.

There are too many gekiga artists to list who have had a direct influence on many of the artists mentioned. If this were list of the top ten mangaka recognized by the general public, I’d agree, but this is bogus.

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